Consciousness
by Clare Hope
Summary: There are people disappearing on the planet Drea. The Doctor and Donna discover a dead woman's body...but her consciousness is still inside. Is there some evil force at play...or is nothing as it seems? (DW isn't mine, I just like to play in its universe sometimes! Now complete.)
1. Chapter 1

Yenna placed her hand on her young daughter's feverish forehead and glanced anxiously down at the near empty water jug sitting on the dirt floor. She knew she would have to go for more water very soon, but she didn't want to leave Amia and it was dangerous to go out at night. "If only Deyno were here," the young mother sighed. Deyno, her husband, had left to go on a journey with a few other men from the village to find a new place to move the whole town. Not everyone was happy about this decision, but what with the disappearances, the village had collectively decided to move location. And then, on top of everything, Amia had gotten sick! It was just a fever, nothing terribly uncommon, but still, it wasn't convenient.

Picking up the now empty jug from the ground next to the low bed, Yenna kissed her daughter's forehead, whispering "I'll be right back, my love." Then, ignoring all feelings of doubt, Yenna brushed aside the dry grass curtain hanging in front of the opening of the small, mud brick house and started down the well-trodden path to the water well. The well was less than a mile round trip, but it was dangerous at this time of night. The twin moons hung high in the opposite regions of the sky, and the stars stood out against the blackness, but the moons gave enough light to see by. Yenna hurried along the path as fast as she could holding the heavy jug in both hands, and reached the hill. She would have to climb the steep hill and then down the other side to reach the well. She could go around, but the base of the hill was so wide that she would be a mile off course. Climbing the hill was faster.

At the top of the hill, she paused to get her breath, and then started down the other side. Right at the base of the hill, surrounded by a grove of bushes, she tripped and nearly broke the ceramic jug. Scrambling up, she told herself that she needed to be more careful. She wasn't far from the well now, and started walking again. Then she stopped. There was a rustle in the bushes.

Now, this may not sound like a really terrifying thing, but Yenna froze in puzzled horror. There were no animals living up in these parts. But even worse: there was no wind. Yenna looked around, wondering if one of the village boys had followed her to frighten her. If they had, it worked. But she was almost certain that no one had followed her all the way. But the rustling came again. And then something sprang out of the bushes. It never even touched Yenna, but Yenna went limp.

A body fell to the ground, and the water jug smashed into a hundred little ceramic pieces.


	2. Chapter 2

There was a blue box sitting in the middle of a field. Strangely enough, there was no evidence of how it had gotten there. And then a door opened on the front of the box, and a woman with red hair and a very large voice bounced out onto the tall grass.

"Come on then, Doctor!" Donna Noble called loudly over her shoulder into the box. "You said this was going to be an exciting stop, well worth my time. Although with a time machine, that doesn't mean much. And oi!" she added, turning with one hand on her hip and one pointed accusingly at the skinny man in a blue suit and a long tan coat who had just wandered out of the box, "this is a field. Your stupid box brought us to a field. A boring, grassy, earthy field. There isn't anything to see here. What's your big surprise, eh, Martian Boy?"

The Doctor appeared to be a bit offended, but those who knew him would know he was only teasing. "Don't call the TARDIS stupid, she's actually a brilliant multidimensional spaceship, aren't you," he said, fondly patting the wooden phone box exterior. "And for just about the millionth time, I'm really not from Mars."

"Point understood. Not taken," Donna retorted. "So what's the surprise? Tell me."

The Doctor, with his hands in his pockets, started wandering slowly towards a tall hill rising out of the ground like a tumor. "a) it's a surprise, so I can't tell you. 2)—no, wait, sorry—_b_) it's not until…" he checked his watch. "Eleven o'clock tonight. Roughly, since this planet doesn't go by the same timey wimey system as Earth."

Donna followed him. "Timey wimey?!" she said incredulously. "What does that even mean?"

"No idea," the Doctor replied distractedly. He wasn't really paying attention.

Suddenly, Donna got excited. She started to run towards the big hill. "Hurry up then! I mean, the whole planet can't be a field! Let's explore!"

The Doctor grinned. That was why he chose her. He let her run ahead. Humans were so curious, but she deserved this one. By the time he had turned around and locked the TARDIS doors, Donna had already reached the base of the hill. There was a cylindrical structure near the hill, maybe some sort of well. Then Donna dropped to her knees next to something lying on the ground and screamed. "Doctor! Doctor, come quickly!" But he was already running. In less than thirty seconds, he had reached her, and pulled her up off the ground and took her place kneeling next to the body of the young woman lying in the brush. The shattered remains of some ceramic vessel were lying around her. Donna had tears in her eyes.

"What d'you suppose happened to her?" Donna said sadly. The Doctor had lifted the woman's wrist and was checking her pulse. He shook his head slightly and pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, scanning the woman.

"Ooh," he said curiously. "Oh, that is very odd." He looked up at Donna. "All of her life signs are gone. Her heart's not beating, she isn't breathing, and she's cold."

"But?" Donna asked. She knew him so well.

"But," the Doctor continued. "Her brain is still functioning. Whatever happened to her…she's still conscious."

"You what?" Donna said blankly. "You mean…she's alive?"

The Doctor looked completely bewildered. "I don't know. I have no idea. But her…well, I suppose you'd say soul, her consciousness, is still in her body. In fact," he added, touching the woman's face gently. "I think she can hear us. I think she's fully awake. Is that right?" he said to the woman. "Are you in there?"

"The poor thing must be terrified," Donna sympathized. "We have to help her, Doctor."

"Well, yeah, of course. But the thing is, I don't know how." The Doctor stood up. "Something is going on here. These people are fairly primitive and quite like the ancient human civilizations on Earth. It takes a long time for them to develop technology. But I don't remember learning anything about anything like this." He leaned down and picked up the woman effortlessly. "One thing's for sure, we can't leave her lying around if there's any chance she's actually conscious. It would be awful if she were found and buried alive. Sorry, Donna, exploring will have to wait." And with Donna following him, and the young woman in his arms, the Doctor headed back to the TARDIS.


	3. Chapter 3

The strange woman was right. Yenna was terrified. She thought she had been paralyzed like that man who had broken his spine three years ago. And then she realized that she wasn't breathing. Her heart wasn't even beating. By all rights, she should be dead. She couldn't understand why she wasn't dead any more than remember what had attacked her. She had lain there until morning, and then through noontime, when the planet's star began to descend in the sky, just waiting to be discovered. But she wasn't discovered, until she had heard the strange woman approach and heard her shout for a doctor. Her eyes were closed; she couldn't see who had come to find her, but she didn't recognize their voices, and though she understood everything they said, it sounded strange, and they (especially the man) used words she couldn't fathom. All she could understand was that at first they thought she was dead, and then realized that they knew she was still conscious. She could feel the man's fingertips brush her cheek and then in a moment he lifted her up. She wondered where they were taking her, but she had no way of letting them know that. And she had no way of letting them know about her sick child either.

The rocking sensation that told her she was being carried stopped suddenly. She heard a strange noise, a creaking noise, one she had never heard the likes of. (Actually, it was the TARDIS door opening, but Yenna's society used dried grasses as door curtains, they didn't have actual doors.) After a few more steps, Yenna felt herself be set down in a sitting position against something solid. The man's voice said something directly to her. It was a very kind voice. "Now I don't know who you are or what happened to you, and I know you have no way of answering me, but if you concentrate really, really hard, just think your name. Think it as loud as you can, and I'll be able to understand." Yenna felt his hands rest gently against her temples and his forehead press against hers. "Ready? And go." _Yenna_, she thought hard. _Yenna_. Then she tried to put across how very frightened she was, and that her daughter was all alone. She hoped he understood. Something just about his voice made her think he would.

"Well?" the strange woman said. "Is she in there?"

"Donna, hush," the man replied. In Yenna's mind, the man's voice sounded clear, though he hadn't actually spoken. _Hello_, he said. _I'm the Doctor. This is Donna. We're friends. You name is Yenna. You've been hurt, and we're going to try and help you. Don't be scared, it'll be alright. We'll find your daughter, I promise. Okay?_

Although for some reason, Yenna couldn't arrange her thoughts as words like the Doctor had, she tried to focus on how grateful she was for his kindness. He replied instantly. _You're very welcome, Yenna, helping people is sort of a day job for us. Now, I'm going to try and find the memories of how you got this way. Don't be frightened, I won't pry into anything I shouldn't. I just want to help._ She could feel the memories of last night called to the front of her mind, although she hadn't thought about them. It was frightening, but she tried to just let the Doctor do whatever it was he was doing. She didn't resist. The memories retreated. _Thank you_, the Doctor said, and then he was gone from her mind.


	4. Chapter 4

"I was right," the Doctor said to Donna. "She is in there, and she is very much alive. Her name is Yenna. She lives in the village on the other side of the hill, and she has a daughter there. Her husband is away, but I think the others will take care of her daughter. I'm more worried about the disappearances."

"Disappearances? D'you think this has happened before, then?" Donna wondered, gazing in pity at the still, pretty form of Yenna leaning against the console unit. "That would be awful—Do you think they were buried like that? Still conscious?"

The Doctor grimaced. "I hope not, but I don't think so. It was definitely _disappearances,_ and not _deaths_."

Donna frowned. "So where'd they go then?"

"That, Miss Noble, is an excellent question, one I am sure we will find the answers to. First, though…" He knelt back down next to Yenna and put his hand on her shoulder. "Yenna," he said carefully. "Donna and I will be away for a bit. But I promise we will come back. Go to sleep if you can. Be back soon." He brushed the brown hair away from Yenna's face and stood up. "Coming, Donna?" For the first time, Donna hesitated. "Look, we won't be gone long, Yenna will be fine." He knew her so well, too. "Okay? Don't worry. We'll figure it out."

"Oh all right then," Donna said finally. "Let's go." As they walked arm in arm out of the TARDIS, she continued, "At least we get to explore a little, although it's not exactly what I expected."

The Doctor locked the door. "Yeah, but this is what we do, isn't it? Wander around, explore, see new things, and help people out?"

"Not all the time."

"No," the Doctor agreed. "Not all the time." He sighed. "Because nobody can make everything better, Donna. But I try my best." He looked so sad all of a sudden. Donna wanted to cheer him up, but didn't know what to say. So she just put her head on his shoulder and together they walked to the well.

… … … … …

"Well that doesn't make sense," the Doctor said. "It's not like it's some sort of...no, it's a kind of a...Well make up your mind," he told his screwdriver sternly. It was making a much buzzier sound than it usually did and the blue light was wavering.

Donna, standing nearby, was a bit concerned. "What's going on, Doctor?"

"Well, I...my sonic isn't...it's not picking up…" He trailed off again. "It's not working." The Doctor was looking a little bewildered. That didn't happen often. "It's like…" He shook his head, trying to focus, and scanned the ground where Yenna had lain. Donna walked up to the Doctor and put her hand on his arm.

"Look at me," she said. "What is wrong with your screwdriver?"

"Sorry, sorry. It's like something is confusing the feed deliberately. But that doesn't make sense, there's nothing on this planet that could do this sort of thing yet. These people are centuries away from sonic tech, and yet something is managing to tell my screwdriver that it's scanning a metal…" He shook the screwdriver as it bleeped again. "What?! No, I highly doubt it's a metal fruit tree."

As serious as the situation was, Donna could barely stifle a laugh. She decided to press the matter further later. "What are we going to do, then?"

Frustrated as the screwdriver gave him yet another preposterous solution, the Doctor shoved it back in his pocket. "We're going to have to go to Yenna's village. It's right over that hill. We have to tell them we found her, and make sure they're taking care of Amia."

"That's Yenna's daughter, yeah?"

"Correct."

"What're we going to tell them? They're going to want to see her," Donna pressed. "And we can't very well let them do that, they'll think she's dead. They won't understand she's still awake."

"Rule number one: the Doctor lies," the Doctor said. Almost jokingly, but not quite."

"Really, I thought rule number one was 'don't wander off'?"

"Obviously, there's two rule number ones. Pay attention." The Doctor straightened his tie. "Let me do the talking."

Donna rolled her eyes. "Right, cos that's totally gonna happen."

The Doctor grinned. "Worth a try." He pointed up the hill. "Allons-y!"


	5. Chapter 5

The pair walked straight past the slight man sitting on the rock without noticing him, until he spoke.

"Who in Drea are you?" the man said harshly.

The Doctor and Donna turnded simultaneously, startled. The Doctor gave a friendly smile. "Oh! I'm the Doctor. This is Donna. We're heading to the village. We found one of its inhabitants earlier this morning, Yenna, her name is. She was badly hurt, we don't know by what, but we're taking care of her. Hopefully, she should be fine."

"Yenna?" The man looked suspicious. "Yenna would never leave our daughter alone."

"Your daughter?" Donna asked. "Oh, you must be…" She had never heard Yenna's husband's name. But the Doctor knew.

"Oh, you're Deyno! We've heard all about you. But I thought you were on some sort of...scouting trip, is that right? Did you get back?"

Deyno nodded. "Very early this morning. But you said you found Yenna? Is she alright?" The desperate expression on his face made it clear that he loved Yenna very much.

The Doctor hesitated, but only for a moment. "Like I said, she was badly hurt. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but you can't see her right now."

There were obvious traces of tears in Deyno's eyes. "How do I know you're not lying? How do I know you're not the one who hurt her?"

Donna stepped right in front of him. "Look into my eyes," she said softly. "I promise you, we're not lying. Yenna will be fine, but we need to know what attacked her. Now, has there been anything else like this recently? Any unexplained disappearances or injuries or deaths?" The Doctor looked at her rather proudly.

Deyno took a deep breath. He believed them. "There have been three disappearances in the last two months. Ardek was the first. Then the child, Reytu. And just a week ago, just before the scouting trip started, the wife of one of our members vanished. Her name was Vanda. She was also my sister. No bodies have ever been found, until now. But Yenna isn't dead, you said? So there's hope for the others, as well?"

"Of course there is," the Doctor said confidently. "But we need to find them first. Do you know where they disappeared from, where they were seen last?"

Deyno nodded. "All were last seen going over the hill. I saw that the water jug was gone from our house, and Amia had a fever, and I assumed…" He put his face in his hands, trying to hide his tears. His voice came muffled. "And so I left Amia with a friend and came out here to watch for Yenna, but I was scared to cross over the hill."

Donna looked sorrowfully at this frightened young man. He couldn't have been older than twenty years old, if people here aged the same as they did on Earth. She knelt down next to him and tapped his shoulder lightly. "Hey, listen, it's okay. You can just stay here with your daughter, and we'll look after your wife. You don't have to cross over the hill. Alright?" Deyno nodded again, but he didn't lift his face. "You should go back to the village," she continued. "We'll be back when Yenna's healed." Donna stood up, and motioned to the Doctor that they should leave. By the time Deyno lifted his head up again, they were gone.


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor had completely given up on his sonic screwdriver. He didn't even pull it out when they got back to the well. "They all vanished from somewhere around here," he said.

"Yeah, I got that, thanks," Donna replied.

The Doctor ignored her. "But there are no other bodies. A man, a child, and a woman can't just have completely disappeared, it's impossible. So. So...Let's see. Yenna was standing…" He positioned Donna right amid the ceramic fragments. "Right there." He walked in a circle around Donna. "She was surprised by the whatever-it-was-that-attacked-her and she didn't have time to run. But-what if the others did? What if they were standing right about here, too, and they ran? Where would they have run to?"

Donna, a bit tired of being used as a prop, stepped carefully away from the shards of the jug. "As far away as possible, I'd imagine."

"Yes but they wouldn't have gotten far. The whatever-it-was would have caught up fast." The Doctor strode in concentric circles away from the well.

"The whatever-it-was, is that a technical term?" Donna asked sarcastically as she followed the Doctor.

The Doctor turned to face her. "Yes." And he started pacing away from the well again, in circles about a meter apart.

"Doctor," Donna said. "What if I go that way-" She pointed to one side of the well. "And you go the other way?"

"Alright," he replied. "Shout if you find anything."

"On it." In some places, the grass came up to Donna's knees. She marveled at how living things could evolve so similarly on two completely separate planets. Of course, it also made it difficult to see if there was any bodies in front of her. She just hoped she didn't step on anyone.

Then she stumbled over something. She leaned down and pulled aside the grass. A young boy lay there, looking quite dead, but Donna knew he wasn't really. What had Deyno said the child's name was? Reytu, that was it. "Doctor!" Donna shouted. "I found one! It's the little boy! Doctor?" She turned and gasped.

The Doctor wasn't there. Across the entire field, there was no sign of that thin body standing upright in the grass.

* * *

><p><em>Sorry about the long wait, I've been super busy and been working on other stories. Hopefully I'll get the next one up sooner. <em>


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor was frightened. In nine hundred years of time and space, he had never experienced the feeling of both hearts stopping, the air disappearing from his lungs, and the loss of movement all at once. He couldn't see: his eyes had closed as he fell, but he hit the ground hard because he could not break his fall. He heard Donna call out to him, but he could not respond. He heard and felt her footsteps, running towards him, back and forth across the soil and grass. I'm here, he wanted to shout. I'm right here, Donna. But then she found him, her footsteps stopped, and she was shaking him as if trying to wake him up.

"Doctor, please, please, get up!" his companion said desperately. "I can't do this on my own! Please say you're still alive, please!" He had never heard her quite this desperate before, except perhaps on the Oodsphere, when he had let her listen to the Oodsong and she couldn't stand it. She pressed her hands against both sides of his chest, feeling for a heartbeat from either heart. She couldn't find one. "How do I…?" she said quietly. Then she did what she had seen the Doctor do many times before: she placed her hands on either side of his head and pressed their foreheads together. "Oh, let this work," she said.

The Doctor really was proud now. See, this was why he had chosen her. She was so clever. Although he wasn't sure it would work, he sent her the telepathic message she wanted. _Oh, well done, Donna Noble. _She gave a tiny squeal. "Did I do it? Did I really, really do it?" she said out loud.

_Yes, of course. _It was so difficult to send these messages into humans' funny little brains. The messages had to be so oversimplified. _ Now, listen, Donna, if I heard you correctly, you found the little boy Deyno told us about? Don't try and answer that, actually, I heard you. Take him back to the TARDIS. Leave me here. Take him back to the TARDIS. Tell him we're going to figure this out, and leave him next to Yenna. Tell her that her husband is back and her daughter is fine. Do not come back for me. Stay in the TARDIS. _

"But what about you?" Donna asked nervously.

_Oh, you know me, I'll figure something out. _What he didn't tell her was that he had caught a glimpse of the creature (for creature it was) that had caused this mess, and thought he knew how to fix everything. But he needed her gone first. He needed every tiny molecule of his brain focused on one task. Because the creature, whatever it was, had linked itself to the Doctor's mind. And if he could find the link, he could reverse the process.

Surprisingly, Donna obeyed, although reluctantly. She pulled away from the Doctor and let him lay back down onto the ground carefully. It must have been hard for her, but she left. As soon as she was gone, the Doctor began to search in his mind. There was some sort of link, he could feel it, that was draining his body's ability to function, like a sort of energy transfer, with the other end linked to the creature. He could also tell that the creature communicated telepathically. It was very advanced, so much more than the humans, although not as advanced as the Time Lords. Still, it was very impressive. _All right,_ he thought to himself. _Allons-y_.

With an incredible amount of focus, the Doctor felt his consciousness fade away from everything in his surroundings, trying to find the physical location of the link. It took a long time, and an exhausting effort, but he let every memory he had sink into nothingness. When everything but the task at hand was suppressed, the Doctor found that it was fairly easy to find the link.

And then sever it. With a jerk and a gasp, the Doctor felt his hearts start beating again and his entire awareness flood back to him. Coughing and spluttering, he rolled over and forced himself into a sitting position. His eyes snapped open and blinked against the fierce light of the alien sun, reflected off the shining gold and green grass. _And I don't think_, he reflected, standing up shakily, _that I've ever seen anything quite this beautiful_.


	8. Chapter 8

"How can a little boy be so heavy?" Donna grumbled to herself. Then she remembered that he could hear her. "Sorry, love," she whispered to him. "I won't drop you, don't worry. I know you must be scared, but I promise everything's going to be all right. My friend, the Doctor, he's going to fix everything. You're going to be fine, and you'll be back with your family before you know it." Reytu wasn't that heavy, really. In fact, he was very small. Donna continued to talk quietly to him, reassuring him, and also herself, that everything was going to turn out fine.

Donna sighed with relief when she got to the TARDIS. Then, suddenly, she muttered "Oh…_damn_." She didn't have a key. How could she have been so stupid? She shoved her shoulder into the blue door angrily, and, to her surprise, it creaked open. She remembered the Doctor telling her that his spaceship was alive, and really appreciated it for the first time. "Thanks, girl," she said to the box. Then she felt a little silly, and went inside, placing the little boy on the ground gently next to Yenna. "Hey," she said aloud to both of them. "I know you can't see each other, but, Yenna, we found Reytu. He's had the same thing happen to him as you did. The Doctor…well, he's working on stuff, I'm sure. He told me to stay here with you. I really don't want to, no offense, because he needs someone to be with him. I usually don't do as I'm told, especially by him. He always has reasons for telling me not to follow him, or not to wander off. But, see, whenever I do what he tells me, he gets into trouble. And he tries to say that he's not important, that he's just the pilot, and that it's not about him, but…he's wrong. So, I'm so sorry. But I have to go back and help him. We'll be back, I'm so sorry to leave you both like this. You're totally safe, though. Nothing can happen to you while you're in here. Promise." Donna stood over the two limp, unresponsive people for a second. She wasn't sure why. "Okay, bye."

She walked out of the TARDIS, closing the door carefully behind her. As she turned to face the field of grass, she saw four men standing in a semi-circle around her, surrounding her and backing her up against the TARDIS. She hadn't been expecting that, and jumped slightly. "Wot?!" she said. One of the men was Yenna's husband, Deyno. He was pointing at her.

"See, sir," he was saying accusingly. "That's the woman who was telling me about the missing people! She and her friend said they were still alive, and not to bother looking for them. I told you, they're probably the ones who took them!"

The oldest of the men was glaring at Donna. "Where's your friend then?" he asked harshly. "And what in the name of Drea is that box?"

Donna decided very quickly that people this rude didn't deserve answers. So she did what Donna was very prone to doing: she lost her temper. "Look, I dunno what sort of place this is," she proclaimed heatedly, "but where I come from, if someone's trying to help, you aren't rude to them, and I ain't answering your questions 'til you learn to ask 'em nicely." She tossed her head to one side defiantly, her accent getting broader as she got angrier. "So I'll tell you what, then, you just better show some respect, or you'll have me to answer to, and the Doctor, too, if you're really unlucky." The four men stepped back slightly, as if in shock from her outburst. _Women probably don't act that way here_, Donna thought proudly.

Then, of course, she was being taken roughly by the arms and forced to walk towards the hill. "Oi!" she shouted. "Let go of me, I'm not going anywhere!" But evidently she was, for she couldn't shake the grips of all four at once, and she found herself wishing that she had stayed in the TARDIS for once.


	9. Chapter 9

"How can a little boy be so heavy?" Donna grumbled to herself. Then she remembered that he could hear her. "Sorry, love," she whispered to him. "I won't drop you, don't worry. I know you must be scared, but I promise everything's going to be all right. My friend, the Doctor, he's going to fix everything. You're going to be fine, and you'll be back with your family before you know it." Reytu wasn't that heavy, really. In fact, he was very small. Donna continued to talk quietly to him, reassuring him, and also herself, that everything was going to turn out fine.

Donna sighed with relief when she got to the TARDIS. Then, suddenly, she muttered "Oh…_damn_." She didn't have a key. How could she have been so stupid? She shoved her shoulder into the blue door angrily, and, to her surprise, it creaked open. She remembered the Doctor telling her that his spaceship was alive, and really appreciated it for the first time. "Thanks, girl," she said to the box. Then she felt a little silly, and went inside, placing the little boy on the ground gently next to Yenna. "Hey," she said aloud to both of them. "I know you can't see each other, but, Yenna, we found Reytu. He's had the same thing happen to him as you did. The Doctor…well, he's working on stuff, I'm sure. He told me to stay here with you. I really don't want to, no offense, because he needs someone to be with him. I usually don't do as I'm told, especially by him. He always has reasons for telling me not to follow him, or not to wander off. But, see, whenever I do what he tells me, he gets into trouble. And he tries to say that he's not important, that he's just the pilot, and that it's not about him, but…he's wrong. So, I'm so sorry. But I have to go back and help him. We'll be back, I'm so sorry to leave you both like this. You're totally safe, though. Nothing can happen to you while you're in here. Promise." Donna stood over the two limp, unresponsive people for a second. She wasn't sure why. "Okay, bye."

She walked out of the TARDIS, closing the door carefully behind her. As she turned to face the field of grass, she saw four men standing in a semi-circle around her, surrounding her and backing her up against the TARDIS. She hadn't been expecting that, and jumped slightly. "Wot?!" she said. One of the men was Yenna's husband, Deyno. He was pointing at her.

"See, sir," he was saying accusingly. "That's the woman who was telling me about the missing people! She and her friend said they were still alive, and not to bother looking for them. I told you, they're probably the ones who took them!"

The oldest of the men was glaring at Donna. "Where's your friend then?" he asked harshly. "And what in the name of Drea is that box?"

Donna decided very quickly that people this rude didn't deserve answers. So she did what Donna was very prone to doing: she lost her temper. "Look, I dunno what sort of place this is," she proclaimed heatedly, "but where I come from, if someone's trying to help, you aren't rude to them, and I ain't answering your questions 'til you learn to ask 'em nicely." She tossed her head to one side defiantly, her accent getting broader as she got angrier. "So I'll tell you what, then, you just better show some respect, or you'll have me to answer to, and the Doctor, too, if you're really unlucky." The four men stepped back slightly, as if in shock from her outburst. _Women probably don't act that way here_, Donna thought proudly.

Then, of course, she was being taken roughly by the arms and forced to walk towards the hill. "Oi!" she shouted. "Let go of me, I'm not going anywhere!" But evidently she was, for she couldn't shake the grips of all four at once, and she found herself wishing that she had stayed in the TARDIS for once.


	10. Chapter 10

Donna tapped her foot impatiently, her arms crossed in front of her chest. It was difficult to do that with her hands tied, but there was enough slack in the rope that she could just do it. She stood in the small cell waiting for her captors to return. "Oi!" she shouted, not knowing whether anyone heard her. "I am waiting here! If you're going to come and question me or whatever the hell it is you're planning, I would suggest you do it before I _die _of _boredom._" Oh, this was just what she needed. As if having to leave the Doctor alone and in danger wasn't enough, now she was stuck inside of a tiny, outhouse-like building that was serving as a prison. Also, it smelled.

The door (which she had not been able to kick down, unfortunately, though she had tried), swung open. A young man, one she hadn't seen before, had opened it. He looked nervous. _And rightly so,_ Donna thought with satisfaction.

"You are to come with me, miss," he said. Donna glared.

"Why should I?"

"Because…please, you must come with me." The man (hardly more than a boy) sounded scared now. Scared of Donna? _Well, that's fairly new._

Donna decided that she would do as he asked. He really did look scared. "All right then. Where am I going?"

The young man was visibly relieved. "The village hall, miss. Lord Korask wishes to speak to you."

"Oh?" Donna remarked, following him out of her little prison and walking out into the bright sunlight, across the narrow, grassy strip between them and a larger mud and grass-thatched building. "Who's he then? Also, you're a rubbish guard. I could escape any second I wanted to." The man spun around to face her nervously and pulled a long, stone dagger out of his belt. Donna didn't flinch. "Calm down, _sweetheart_," she chastised sarcastically. "I ain't going to escape. I don't really want to. I'm really curious as to what this Lord Kor-thing wants with me."

He slowly put the blade back into his belt. "You'll find out soon enough. Come."

"Yeah, I'm coming." Donna walked in front of the guard now. He showed her to an opening in the side of the small building, a hole in the mud bricks, curtained by a sheet of woven grasses. She pushed through them with some difficulty due to her bound hands.

The inside of the structure was dark, lit only by a single window and a fireplace at one end of the room. A table was placed in the center of the room, and there were a couple of chairs surrounding it. Only one was occupied. A man, who looked about forty or forty-five, sat in it, his posture straight and composed, his expression haughty and angry. _High and mighty, eh,_ Donna thought to herself, _if only he had more than three strands of hair._ Out loud, she said "Lord Korsak, I assume. Oh—," she broke off, her face of mock-respect and her voice dripping with facetiousness. "Sorry, am I supposed to call you _sir_, sir?"

When the man, Lord Korsak, opened his mouth, his voice was not tight and entitled. He sounded tired. "That would presume that you had some form of respect for me. Judging by the way you have treated the people of my village, that would be presuming too much. Sit down, please."

Donna sat immediately. She judged this situation as not calling for any more sass, so when next she spoke, it was in all seriousness and politeness. "I'm sorry, Lord Korsak, I don't know what you mean. I haven't done anything."

He smiled sadly. "Please, do not pretend. We are a peaceful people, and as long as you tell us what you have done with our missing citizens and return them to us, we will release you unharmed."

Donna's eyes widened with surprise. "What?!" she exclaimed. "Bu—listen, I didn't take anyone. I only arrived here today, so how could I? I came to help."

Lord Korsak remained unconvinced. "Help? I don't believe that you have helped anyone here. Where are they?"

"Look, please," Donna pleaded. "I swear, I haven't harmed any of your people-."

"Then you can tell us where they are? They are still alive?"

Donna tried to fling her hands into the air in frustration, but the rope binding them stopped her from creating the desired effect. "I didn't take them!" she shouted. "But—."

Lord Korsak was yelling, too. "Then what of your friend, the man who Deyno saw with you? The one who calls himself the Doctor?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" Donna screamed. She stood up suddenly, shaking. She tried to calm herself down, but she didn't know what to do, and she didn't know where the Doctor was, and she was scared. "Listen," she tried to say quietly, "I didn't take those people. I don't know where the Doctor is…"

Suddenly, from outside the small building, there was a commotion, a shouting and some loud thumps. Donna immediately recognized one of the voices, and she couldn't help but let a huge grin spread over her face. "Actually, now I do."

Korsak jumped out of his seat, running out of the room without glancing back at Donna. She followed him, though.

* * *

><p><em>Wow, so so sorry about the wait if anyone is following this story. I've been writing so many other things, this got stuck at the bottom of my list. I will try to keep up with it, there isn't too too far to go. Maybe three or four more chapters, I'll try to wrap up pretty fast. Thanks for reading as always! <em>


	11. Chapter 11

"Look, this is all some kind of misunderstanding," the Doctor protested. "And oi, could you all let me up, please? I'm not too fond of having daggers stuck at my throat—ouch!" He yelped as one of the guards standing over him thrust his knife under the Doctor's chin and broke the skin.

"Doctor!" came a familiar shout, and the Doctor twisted his head in the direction of the voice. A wide grin split his face.

"Donna!" he greeted. "Mind telling these great lumps of guards to let me up? Oh, hold on. Why're your hands tied up?"

Before Donna could reply, Korsak stepped through the growing crowds of villagers brought out of their small houses by the commotion. "Enough!" he shouted. "Let the man up, but don't let him escape. Bring him into the town meeting hall. The woman, too."

The Doctor was pulled roughly to his feet and his arms pinned behind his back. Donna was grabbed in the same way, and they were marched side by side into the same building that Donna had just exited. "You all right, spaceman?" Donna whispered as they stumbled along.

"I'm fine, you?"

"Not too bad, considering. You're bleeding, though," she added concernedly.

The cut on the Doctor's neck was stinging, but he shrugged it off. "It's just a scratch. Don't worry about me."

This time, Korsak didn't sit. The guards forced Donna and the Doctor to take their seats in the two chairs stationed by the table, and they tied the Doctor's hands just as they had tied Donna's. Korsak waved them away after that, and they left reluctantly.

"Hello," the Doctor said quickly as soon as they had left. "Listen to me, I promise, this is just a sort of misunderstanding. I can explain."

"Do." Korsak glared at them with a sort of tired hatred in his eyes. "Do. Explain to me what reasons you may have had to abduct and possibly kill many of our villagers. Tell me where you came from, and where you are keeping them. Are they even alive?"

The Doctor's eyes widened, and Donna sighed. "Oh…" the Time Lord said slowly. "Oh, that's what you would think, isn't it?"

"Answer the questions."

"Well, you technically only asked one question, you know. The other requests were simply statements. Though not simple statements, if I remember correctly. Compound ones."

"Doctor…" Donna whispered warningly.

Korsak shook with rage. "Shut up!" he exclaimed, slamming a fist down onto the table. "And answer!"

When the Doctor did reply, he tried to make his voice reasonable and calm. "Look, we didn't do anything. We're just here to help."

"If you insist upon lying to me, we will find ways to loosen your tongues," Korsak threatened.

The Doctor was not impressed. "Oh, I think you'll find that won't be necessary. And it certainly won't be very effective."

Lord Korsak turned to Donna and slapped her hard across the face. He was a strong man, and she flinched, but she didn't cry out.

"That wasn't necessary." The Doctor's voice was ice, now, and he stared unblinkingly and intensely at Korsak, who met his gaze. "I believe you will regret it. Donna?"

"I'm fine."

"Good." The Doctor inclined his head. "Now, since you obviously don't want our help, we'll be going."

Korsak was obviously growing uncomfortable. He clearly was losing control of the situation, and he didn't like it. "You aren't going anywhere."

Donna and the Doctor looked at each other and a silent exchange took place in less than a second. "Yeah," Donna said. She stood up. So did he. "We are."

"Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause."

"Not really, cos you're thick, but you get the picture." At that, the Doctor rolled his eyes.

"I was going to leave it at 'sorry for the inconvenience.'"

"Right. Sorry."

"Okay" the Doctor continued. "You, whatever your name is (sorry, never did catch that), we really aren't here to hurt anyone, so I'm not going to try and convince you of that anymore."

"Didn't you just do that?" Donna muttered.

"Yes, thank you, Donna, for the technicalities."

"Just doin' your job for you, spaceman."

Lord Korsak watched this very quick, familiar exchange with an air of utter confusion. "But, you can't go anywhere."

The Doctor perked up. "Now, that's where you're wrong. In fact, we're going to be leaving. In three."

"Two." Donna smiled.

"One." The Doctor flicked his wrists, and the rope fell away. Taking advantage of the moment of surprise, he grabbed Donna's hand (somehow she, too, had slipped her bonds) and they ran out of the building.

Racing out along the narrow, dusty path separating the rows of tiny houses, the two friends laughed at their ridiculous escape. Any villagers they saw were too shocked or scared to try and stop them, and they were very quickly out of the village.

"Allons-y!" the Doctor shouted, and they didn't stop running until they had gotten over the hill and could see the TARDIS, standing tall and blue in the field. A very welcome sight she was, too.


	12. Chapter 12

Safe inside the TARDIS, the Doctor immediately went over to Yenna and Reytu. "Hello," he said. "We're back. Sorry about the wait. I figured everything out—you don't have to worry anymore. We're going to take care of everything. You'll both be back with your families in no time."

Panting slightly, Donna leaned against the coral column closest to the door. "But you haven't explained to me, Doctor. What happened? How are you okay? And what _exactly_ did you figure out?"

The Doctor was closing his eyes. "Not now, Donna, shh. I'm trying to concentrate."

"On what? There's nothing here."

"Exactly," he hissed. "He's pretty far away. It's hard over this distance, and I'm not too familiar with him."

Donna raised her eyebrows. "Okay, what the hell are you talking about?"

"One minute!"

"All right, fine. Whatever."

"Shush!"

"Hmph."

The Time Lord had his face tightened in concentration. A full five minutes passed, and Donna waited in silence, trying to be patient. At last, the Doctor sighed with relief and opened his eyes. "There we go."

"Okay, now. Explain." Donna crossed her arms and gave the no-nonsense-now-spaceman-tell-me-everything-look.

The Doctor began. "Right. Well. So. There's this…creature. This alien, right. His name's Witha'an. He's from the planet Amauver, species Hynnae. A being of telepathic communication."

"Is that what you were doing just then?" Donna interrupted.

"Yes. I was talking to him. It's difficult to do over such distance, and with the TARDIS's protection and perception filters, not to mention overriding her language translators, and the fact that we're two different species…well, never mind. Point is, it was hard."

"What's he doing here?"

"I was just getting to that, Donna, hang on. He was a warrior for a while, but he committed a crime in the war he was fighting, and his kin—."

"A crime? If he's a criminal, how do we know we can trust him? Why are you letting him into your head?" Donna interjected again.

"Donna!" the Doctor snapped. "Let me talk, or I won't be able to."

"Sorry, continue."

"Thank you. His crime, Donna, was cowardice. He just didn't want to fight. I understand, actually," he added softly. "I was the same way. For a long, long time. _Anyway_…His kin abandoned him here. As a punishment. It was awful, Donna. Torture."

"But…" Donna started timidly. "This planet…isn't too bad. Right?"

The Doctor shook his head angrily and sadly. "It's a lovely planet, Donna. That isn't the point. He was cut off from his people, alone, frightened. He had no contact with them. None, whatsoever. For someone who had always had other consciousness's communicating telepathically with his own…well, it's just about the worst possible punishment for someone like him. Like I said, pure torment. He was going insane."

Donna nodded. She was slowly understanding. "And when he couldn't take it anymore…"

"He started trying to reach out to the Dreans," the Doctor confirmed. "But their minds couldn't receive the contact. That's what caused their state."

The ginger temp was still confused. "But…once he realized that their minds couldn't handle whatever, why didn't he stop?"

The Doctor looked away from her, saying softly "He was desperate. You couldn't possibly understand how lonely it is."

A slow, dawning realization swept over Donna Noble. "And you, Doctor. You can."

"Uh…yep," the Doctor muttered, popping the "p" at the end. "I suppose so. Okay, changing the subject now. Witha'an should be here really soon, I told him exactly where we were. When he gets here, I'm gonna help him sever the link with all of the people who are, well, whatever we're calling this. It might take a while, and you're going to have to be really quiet again, can you do that?"

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child, Doctor," Donna rebuked, gently though. "Yeah. I can do that. Are you not gonna talk to me about this anymore?"

"Hmm?" the Doctor said, feigning ignorance. "About what?" Suddenly, he winced, before Donna could have time to respond. "Wait!" His eyes squeezed shut in concentration again, his face gained an expression of horror. "Donna! We have to run. Now, he needs help! Hurry!"


	13. Chapter 13

The Doctor pressed his hands to the sides of his face, trying to focus on direction through the screams of pain slicing through his mind. He could hear Donna as if from a distance, closing the TARDIS doors behind them, calling to him, asking him what was happening, where they should run, but he could barely respond, attempting so hard to pinpoint the location of the tormented Hynnae. "Ahh! That way!" he shouted, pointing blindly. "No! That way!" He corrected his point by a couple of degrees to his right.

"All right, Doctor, come on!" Donna's urging pulled him back into reality, and he felt his hand being grabbed in hers, and she was pulling him along as fast as she could. He could not open his eyes, for Witha'an's panic and terror was so strong that it completely overwhelmed the Doctor's senses. Donna saw this, and she made sure he didn't trip and fall. "Come on, spaceman, come on."

The Doctor tried to shout back to Witha'an telepathically, but he had no way of knowing if his messages got through. And he was speaking aloud, too. "We're coming, we're coming, hold on, Witha'an, we're coming, it's going to be fine, hang on, we're coming!"

_Doctor! _The voice of Witha'an was clear in his mind then. They were getting closer. _Doctor, please, please don't let go._

_I'm not letting go, I'm right here, I'm staying, I won't leave you alone again. Hold on, I think we're really close, just hold on, can you tell me what's happening? _the Doctor pleaded.

_They are hurting me, the Dreans, they think I can bring back their people, but I can't, Doctor, you know I can't. Please hurry, they are hurting me! _

The Doctor could hear, really hear, not just in his mind, shouts now. Shouts of Dreans, harsh screams and demands. _All right, we are almost there. You're going to be fine. Just hold on. _

"Doctor, are you hearing that?" Donna cried as her less sensitive ears picked up the sound.

"Yeah," the Doctor managed to say. "We're close." But the closer they got, the more difficult it was to handle Witha'an's pain. He could feel resistance under his feet. They were running up a hill, and his eyes were still closed. "It's just…over this hill."

The Doctor forced his eyes to open, forced the contact with the Hynnae to be diminished enough so he could focus. They reached the top of the golden hill, and below them, halfway down the slope, was a small group of Drean men, surrounding and kicking and slashing at with stone knifes, a small, dark, terrified figure. "STOP!" the Doctor shouted.

Startled, all of the men looked up, abandoning their torment of Witha'an for a moment. The Doctor strode down at them menacingly, glaring with the fury of a man who has seen too much. "_Stop. This. NOW._" Icy calm and terrifying, his voice rang out quietly and loudly at the same time.

One of the men was brave and idiotic enough to speak up. "You! You're the prisoner who ran off."

The Doctor looked at him sharply. "And you're one of the idiots holding a knife to my throat earlier. Yeah, my memory of you isn't too fond either. Shut up. All of you. Just shut up. Witha'an, shh. I can't carry on two conversations at once, at least not easily. Come here, it's okay now." The small, dog-like creature, bleeding and limping, crawled over to the two travelers. Donna took pity on him and knelt down next to him, gathering him to her and trying to stop the bleeding. The Doctor glanced back once and, satisfied that Witha'an was in good hands, turned his attention to the men now backing away from him like he was on fire. He took a step towards them.

"I understand that you are worried for your people," the Doctor began calmly. His anger seemed to be abating. "But what exactly were you hoping to accomplish by this? This…atrocity?"

One of the men, not the same one as before, spoke up timidly. "We thought that the creature was responsible for our peoples' deaths."

"Look. They _aren't dead_," the Doctor countered. "And there's one thing you did manage to get right in all of this. Witha'an is responsible for this. But he didn't mean to, and I can fix everything. Just let me help you."

"They aren't dead?" one of the other men said in disbelief. "Then where are they all? Four people have disappeared over the past two months. Where are they, if not dead?"

"It's very difficult to explain, but I'm sure they will be happy to try when they return. They might be disoriented for a while, a bit mad, maybe, but they'll be alright eventually. But please, I'm asking you to give me just a little time. Please, let me take Witha'an to my, er, oh, there isn't a word exactly in your language. Wagon? No, no, definitely not. Look, I just need you to trust me, all right? I promise, I can get your friends and family back to you. Just trust me." The Doctor looked at the men with the most trustworthy face he could make.

The men exchanged glances. Then one of them nodded: the first one to speak. "Fine. We will trust you because we seem to have no other option right now. But we will follow you to your…wagon, man who calls himself Doctor, and you will not trick us or attack us."

"She's not a wa—Oh, never mind," the Doctor grumbled. "All right, allons-y. And I won't trick you or attack you. I'm only here to help. Donna, can you carry—. Or not. Sorry, hang on." _Sorry, Witha'an, but are you sure you don't want help? You're pretty badly hurt. _

_Doctor, I am capable of walking alongside you on my own._

_Really, cos it doesn't look like it. And you're going to need all the strength you have soon. Before, I was only severing the link from me to you. Severing the link from you to other people is going to be exhausting for both of us. Witha'an, please let Donna help you._

_…__Fine. But it hurts my pride. _

_Right. Deal with it, just this once. 'Kay? _The Doctor realized that everyone was looking at him strangely. A seemingly random silence must not be very normal in conversations on this planet. Were they on any planet? Well, except for those couple where the language was…no, not important right now. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "Donna, Witha'an grudgingly will allow you to carry him. Would you do that?"

"'Course."

"Great. Big help. Thank you. And you," he said, looking disdainfully at the men, "stay out of my way. Right. TARDIS this way."

"Your wagon?"

"She's not a bloody wagon! Oh, shut up, Donna."

Donna barely tried to stifle her laughter. "I'm sure she'll love to know you called her a wagon."

"It's her translation program that messes me up!" The Doctor frowned. "You won't tell her, will you?"


	14. Chapter 14

"No," the Doctor said flatly as soon as they reached the TARDIS. The men, whose names were Ciro, Corlen, Merdo, Lisren, and Biuten, were looking at it with dumbstruck disbelief.

"What?" asked Merdo.

"No, I'm not explaining how I got her here or what she is, and I'm definitely not taking you inside with me and Donna and Witha'an," the Doctor clarified.

"It hardly seems large enough for even one of you," Lisren observed.

Donna smiled. "Well, I wonder how exactly we're going to fit, then."

The Doctor shot Donna a not-right-now-shush-I'm-handling-it look and she responded with an I'll-do-what-I-like-spaceman-you-shut-up glance. He rolled his eyes. "Right. Stay out, you five. Expect us to be gone for at least half an hour."

"How do we know you won't just…leave?" That was Biuten. He looked to be the youngest of the group.

The Doctor gave him a knowing smile. "It's just a box, you know. How could we go anywhere?" He winked at Donna. She sighed. He pouted for a second that she hadn't appreciated his joke, and then got over it. "Right, okay then. See you in a bit."

Being very, very careful not to let any of the Dreans see into the TARDIS, the Doctor and Donna carrying Witha'an carefully slipped inside. The Doctor winced as Witha'an's shock at the bigger on the inside-ness of the TARDIS caught him by surprise.

_Yeah, sorry, should have warned you._

_But…Doctor, this is impossible! It's bigger…It's…_

_Yeah, bigger on the inside. Get that a lot, actually. It's the technology of my people. I'm sure you've heard of it if you know much of the Time Lords. _

_Some, but mostly legends. I had never heard of this. _

_Pretty amazing, yes? _

_Absolutely breathtaking. Your ship, she is beautiful. _

_And she can hear you. She's alive, Witha'an. The TARDIS is a conscious being, though she doesn't quite communicate like we can. No words, just sometimes vague impressions. I doubt she'll sing to you, because she doesn't know your species either. That's odd. She knows just about everything. _"Donna, you could put him just there. Oh, fetch some bandages and such from the infirmary? Shouldn't be too far, the TARDIS sees the urgency." Donna did as he asked.

"Be right back," she said and headed off in a vague direction, trusting the TARDIS to show her the way.

_Why doesn't the TARDIS know your species? _The Doctor was very curious. _What, is there something really special about you? _

_I do not know. Doctor, how are you suggesting we proceed with restoring the people I harmed? _

_Not until you're treated for those injuries, _the Doctor replied firmly.

_I was a warrior once. I have received worse and continued fighting. Why should today be any different?_

_Because today we have a choice, and I'm choosing to help you first. _

_But there are two of the people I harmed right here. How can you make them wait any longer in this state? I am not important here._

_Of course you are! Everyone is important. Always. _

_Doctor, please. _

_…__All right. _The Time Lord gave in. He sat down on the TARDIS floor, right next to Witha'an. Then he changed his mind and lay down completely. He focused his consciousness once again totally on the link between Witha'an and himself. Once he had established it totally, he expanded his range to include Yenna and Reytu's minds. His hands nearly crushing into his temples, he struggled to keep the concentration he needed. He tried helping the child first, and as he found the connection between the Hynnae and the Drean, he cut it clean in two. He felt rather than heard or saw the life rushing back into Reytu's body. The Doctor's presence in the child's mind was so intense that he did not need to make physical contact to make the child sleep, like he normally would. He couldn't handle any distractions right now, so that was useful.

Using the same process, he freed Yenna's mind of Witha'an's touch. _Let's play 'how far can the Doctor reach his mind without going mad', _he thought grimly. How many others were there? Three more, right? Just three? _Alright, Doctor, you can manage. Just three more times. Don't pass out. _Stretching his consciousness out over what seemed like an impossibly long distance, even though it must have been less than two miles, the Doctor brushed against someone else, someone who wasn't one of the five men standing outside of the TARDIS, or Donna. He could feel Witha'an's presence here, too, and cut it off immediately, putting the person unconscious. He didn't stop his search. _Just two more._ There was one…and the other…_Don't you dare pass out just yet, wait. _And the link was severed. The Doctor's mind snapped back into just his own head, and as his gasp for breath brought much-needed air back into his, albeit superior to humans, lungs, he blacked out from exhaustion.

* * *

><p><em>Well, that was exhausting. So I don't know when the next chapter will be up. Probably not too long, but I don't know because it's not finished yet and I'm working on other things. If you're interested and while you're waiting, I have written a lot of other Doctor Who fanfictions as well as some Torchwood ones... Also I'm working on my first Supernatural one, so that's happening. As always, thanks for reading and DFTBA!<em>


	15. Chapter 15

"Oi!" Donna shouted at the TARDIS. "Where's the control room? Bring me back there right now! Why're you keeping me away?" She'd been searching along the corridors for what seemed like ages. None of the passageways led back to the control room. It was like the TARDIS was deliberately keeping her away from the Doctor and Witha'an. "Come on!" Suddenly, she rounded a corner and was inside the control room again. "Finally! Doctor, I'm back!" There was no response. Filled with sudden fear, Donna went around the console and saw Witha'an and the Doctor unconscious on the floor. "Damn it, not again," Donna groaned. She knelt down and held her hand in front of the Doctor's face. Good, he was still breathing. She patted his face. "Hey, spaceman. Wake up, Martian Boy. Doctor, wake up, we still have stuff to do, remember? You promised me a surprise tonight, on this planet. I'm holding you to that. Doctor!"

"Hmm…Donna?" The Doctor stirred slightly. One eye opened.

"There you are, spaceman," Donna said, relieved. "What happened?"

The Doctor sat up slowly. "Uhh…I fixed stuff. Brain stuff…sorry, it's not working too well right now. Brain, that is. My brain. Kind of overused it, it's tired. Not…making much sense, am I."

Donna shook her head. "No, you're not. You should stop talking. Don't hurt yourself. But you fixed them? All of them?"

"Er, yes. Yes, I think so. Well, I did. Listen, can you hear it? Those two. Yenna and Reytu, they're breathing again."

"Good," Donna replied. "Is Witha'an all right, then?"

"Erm." The Doctor winced in concentration. "Sorry, I'm tired. And he's unconscious. But I think so. You got the supplies then?"

"Yeah, of course. Here you are," Donna replied quickly, handing him all of the bandages she had bundled together to carry easier.

* * *

><p><em>Yeah, sorry that was so short. It's not a long wait until the next chapter, though, and that one is long. So is the next, and that one is either the last or the second-to last chapter. I'm very close to being finished. Thank you for reading, and I'd love it if you dropped a review! Or, you know, save it for the last chapter. That's cool, too. <em>


	16. Chapter 16

It had been difficult to explain, but the Doctor and Donna had managed to return all five victims to their homes. They refused to answer any awkward questions, like usual. Witha'an remained unconscious through all of their cleaning up, but once they had returned to the TARDIS, exhausted and ready to leave (though the Doctor insisted they couldn't leave before seeing what they had come for), he came to.

The Doctor held a finger up to Donna and began talking to Witha'an urgently. _Witha'an, are you all right? Why did it take so long for you to wake up?_

_How…how long?_

_Hours!_

_Really?_

_Yeah…Are you okay?_

_I suppose. My head hurts…I'm so tired. Doctor, please tell me now, what is going to happen to me? What are you going to do? Please don't make me stay here. And I can't go home. _

_It's all right, I won't make you stay here, I wouldn't dream of it. For your sake and the sakes of all of the Dreans. And I know you can't go home. I understand. We'll figure something out, I swear, but for the meantime, you can stay with us. Not permanently, I don't think. I don't think you want that, do you? You're not a traveler, and we aren't warriors. _

_You are correct, Doctor. I want a home, and you cannot give that to me. But I don't believe that there is anywhere in the universe for someone like me._

_Don't say that! Hey, there's always somewhere. I've felt the same way. _

_And have you found a home?_

_No,_ the Doctor replied truthfully. _But I've found the next best thing—friends. We aren't the only telepathic beings out there. I'm sure we can find you a place. _

_I will hold you to your word, Doctor. _

_Trust me. I lie, but I keep my promises. And I promise you, I will find you a home._

"Doctor?" Donna asked quietly. "What are you saying to him?"

The Doctor stood up. He had been kneeling on the ground next to Witha'an. He looked directly at Donna as he replied. "I told him we would find him a home."

Donna smiled. "Of course we will."

"But for right now," the Doctor continued, "I think we should all go and see the 'surprise' I had planned. I think it's about the right time. Let's go outside."

"I hope it's worth…well, everything. I dunno. We would have helped out here anyway, of course, but…I dunno. Never mind. Oh, let's just go see it, shall we?" Donna blundered and corrected herself. The Doctor did not question her or respond, just helped Witha'an up into a standing (on four legs, not two, though he was capable of it) position and walked outside with Donna.

_It is very dark,_ Witha'an observed. And indeed, both of the moons of Drea were in their newest stage on opposite sides of the sky, providing hardly no light onto the field that shone gold under the sun. The sky was extremely black. There were no stars to be seen.

The Doctor nodded. "Five…four…three…two…one," he murmured. "Zero." At his last word, one of the brightest flashes Donna had ever seen lit up the sky. She gasped, and was nearly blinded by the light.

"On the darkest night Drea had ever seen, this occurs," the Doctor whispered. "A flash of light lasting for over three minutes. Everyone comes outside to marvel at it. It is a miracle, they say. They don't understand it. No one knows where it came from. Precious few written records about the event survive for the archaeologists when they finally get around to exploring here, and astronomical knowledge about it is lacking severely. It is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of all of time and space."

"Did we come here to solve it?" Donna replied in wonder. She couldn't see him through the glow, only heard his response.

"No…I wasn't going to disturb such a beautiful mystery. I just wanted us to see it. I figured there are some things we are better off not knowing. The universe doesn't want to be understood fully, do you think that's true?"

"I don't know," Donna responded truthfully.

_Witha'an, what do you think?_

There was a long pause before he responded. _I think that you are right. Some things do not need to be known. And I think that you were speaking of more than just this light. Am I right, Doctor?_

The Doctor was surprised at the small creature's perception. Had he been to open with his thoughts again? He had thought he had guarded this information well.

_You did. I guessed. But I am right, aren't I?_

_Yes. I'm so sorry, Witha'an. Your race was such a young one. You were genetically modified for war, you know. _

_And they were all killed. _

_In the first few days of the war. Oh, that pointless, pointless war. The first of so many, I'm sorry to say. They never learned their lesson. _

_Of course they didn't. But this means that I, like you, am the last of my kind._

_Yes. I would not wish this fate on anyone. I am so, so sorry. I don't think I can convey how sorry I am. Not with words. _

_You do not need words, Doctor. I understand, for I feel the same for you. But Doctor, will you do me a favor? _

_What do you need?_

_I do not wish to live like this. _

The Doctor was not shocked or horrified by Witha'an's words. He accepted them with grief, and tiredness, and resignation. _I know. I will take you where you need to go. _

_I thank you. _

Suddenly, all of the light in the sky was gone. Donna cried out with shock. "Doctor! I can't see!" She had no knowledge of what had just passed between the two aliens standing beside her. Of course, how could she? She was only human, after all.

"Yes, I know." The Doctor could barely see, either, but he could tell exactly where they were, and he reached out for Donna's hand. "Here I am. Come with me, we have someplace to go." He laid his other hand on the also nearly blinded Witha'an's back and guided them back into the TARDIS. The spaceship immediately adjusted the lighting to be just the right combination of wavelengths and intensity that everyone could see perfectly comfortably despite the previous strain on their retinas. _Witha'an, now?_

_Doctor, please._

* * *

><p><em>So, yeah. This happened. Honestly, I didn't know what the surprise was when I started writing. i knew it was going to be an astronomical phenomenon, but other than that, I had no clue. I hope it was fairly believable. No, they never figure out what it is, but I know...heehee. Actually, a lot happened in this story I wasn't expecting. I finished writing it; There are two more chapters. I'm going to post one tomorrow and one the next day. Think of it as a Christmas present! Happy Holidays! Thanks for reading!<em>


	17. Chapter 17

The Doctor took a deep breath. Donna stood back in silence, somehow understanding that though she did not know what was going on, she should not try and interfere. The Doctor touched some knob on the console lightly and twisted it. He walked around slowly to the other side, pressing buttons and pulling levers as he went.

The crystal tubes in the very center of the console stretching up towards the ceiling began to pump up and down as the sentient ship breathed wheezily. The floor tilted slightly one way and then the other as the gravity center gained its balance. Then, just as it had started, the commotion stopped. Witha'an strode over to the door. The Doctor followed so he could open it, and also so he could bid his new friend farewell.

_Good luck,_ the Doctor told him.

_Doctor. This has nothing to do with luck. Farewell, and thank you. _

_Farewell. _The Doctor pulled the door open with its usual creak. Donna gasped at the sight of what lay beyond the doors: a battle-scarred planet of grey stone, and a struggle as primitive as any fight could be, covering the whole surface, as far as the eye could see. Creatures that looked like Witha'an and many kinds that didn't were locked in claw to claw, tooth to tooth combat. The corpses of the dead and the shrieks of the dying littered and echoed across the land.

Witha'an trotted out to join them. He paused for one moment before leaping out into the fray. The Doctor felt the last remnants of their telepathic connection fade away as he furiously tried to block the mental screams for help coming from every other Hynnae and several other species in the war. But he did not let go completely. He kept watch of Witha'an as the small alien leapt on top of another, larger creature. A brief struggle ensued, but it ended shortly. The other creature locked its jaws around Witha'an's neck and snapped it.

The Doctor cried out softly at the sharp spike of pain and sudden disappearance of his link to the Hynnae. He stumbled backwards, closing the TARDIS doors with a slam and frantically pushed away contact from the rest of the agonized aliens. He couldn't bear all of them dying inside his mind. Never again.

Donna could not question what had just happened. The Doctor needed her not to. She went up to him quickly and took his shoulders, leading him away from the door and to the pilot's chair (not that he ever sat in it while he was flying the ship) and he collapsed into it gratefully. He reached forwards with one hand and placed it on a smooth grey panel on the side of the console. Somehow, he didn't need to do anything more than that for the TARDIS to respond and take them far, far away.

* * *

><p><em>I'm sorry, I had to do it. Um, this is why the rating got bumped up to K+, I literally was not expecting to go this dark when I started writing. I didn't even know that Witha'an was going to be in it when I started. I sort of figured it out as I went along. This is the second to last chapter! It's Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas. I love you all. <em>


	18. Chapter 18

Trembling, the Doctor pressed his hands onto his face. Donna sat next to him, concerned. "It's not my fault," the Doctor mumbled.

"Of course it isn't, spaceman."

"He asked me to take him here. He didn't want to live as the last of his species."

Donna hadn't known that Witha'an was the last of his kind. How had the Doctor known? Hadn't he said that neither he nor the TARDIS knew anything about the species? "Is that the battle his kind died out in?" she asked gently.

The Doctor nodded, his face still hidden. "I lied," he said. "I had never seen the Hynnae before, because they were bred for this war. I could never come and help, never interfere. But the TARDIS knew, she always knows, and she told me. I wasn't going to tell Witha'an…I was going to find him a home, I swear. But he guessed, and I couldn't…I just couldn't lie to him anymore. Not about that."

Donna wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders. "I know. I understand, Doctor. It's okay. You don't have to justify yourself to me."

"He asked me to do him a favor. He wanted to die with the rest of his kind, and I couldn't deny him that."

"Of course not, spaceman. It's not your fault, you did the right thing."

"Did I?"

"Yes." Donna was in no doubt about that. "You always do the right thing, Doctor. Because you're a good man. I wouldn't be travelling with you if you weren't."

"Am I, though? Am I a good man?"

Donna pulled him in closer, a sort of sideways hug. "I don't see how you can even question it, Doctor. Everything you do, everything, is to help people."

He pulled away from her and stood up. He wouldn't meet her eyes. "Donna…you should go to bed."

"Excuse me, spaceman, we're talking here!" Donna rebuked, exasperated. Seriously, every time they were having an in-depth conversation…

"Goodnight, Donna."

"Doctor!"

"I said goodnight!" he shouted. Startled by his outburst, Donna fell silent. She stood up slowly. His back was to her, so she couldn't see his face.

"All right," Donna Noble replied softly, carefully. "I'm sorry, Doctor." She took a few steps towards the hallway she believed led to her bedroom. Then she stopped. "Actually, I'm not sorry. I'm not, you know why? Because you should trust me enough to let me talk to you about you. So you can keep up with this guilt, or self-blame or self-pity or whatever the hell this act is, or you can come and find me if you decide to talk. It's your choice, but you should have some faith in me. We're best friends, Doctor. Friends forever. That means trust has to go both ways." The Doctor didn't say anything, and Donna finished. "I'll be in my room." She strode away.

She couldn't see the Doctor's face, but if she had been able to, she wouldn't have known what to do. He looked lost, his eyes closed, his mouth slightly open as if he was in pain. A single tear had leaked out of one eye. He stood frozen, unable to wipe it away, wishing he had to courage to turn around and go after her.

Would she leave, if he didn't? He couldn't be alone again. Not when he had found someone he could just travel and be friends with. But if he did go after her, what would he say? What could he possibly say?

"Donna?" The Doctor's voice was small as it echoed through her door.

"Come in, Doctor."

He opened the door slowly. The ginger temp was sitting on her bed, already in pajamas, her back against one wall; her legs were bent and out in front of her and her hands were on her knees. He walked over to her and sat carefully at the end of her bed, not looking at her. "I'm sorry," he said finally.

"I ain't looking for an apology."

"What, then?"

"Doctor, I just wanted you to talk to me."

"About what? What is there to say?"

"I don't know, I was asking you. Doctor, you're my best friend. I'm just worried about you."

"I'm all right—"

"No. You aren't. You know why? Because you looked at Witha'an and you saw yourself. An intelligent telepathic being who doesn't want to fight and who is the last of his kind. Don't tell me you didn't see the similarities."

"I did," the Doctor confirmed. "And now he's dead. What does that mean for me?"

Donna pursed her lips. "I don't think it means anything for you, Doctor."

"I don't want to die."

"And he did. That's why you're different from him, Doctor. He was alone. You're not. You've got me. You'll always have me. And you met a friend today, and now he's dead, and you're grieving, and that's okay. But don't start thinking you've gotta die now just cos he did, because let me tell you, I ain't gonna let that happen."

The Doctor managed a faint smile. "Donna Noble. What would I do without you?"

"Let's hope you never have to find out. Now, do you want to stay or are you going to go get some sleep?"

"Well, you should sleep. I'll just, um, go mess around with some wires in the console," the Doctor said. The moment was over, and now he was feeling a bit awkward.

Donna laughed. "Seriously, is that what you do at night?"

"Usually that."

"Ever manage to fix anything or get anything done?"

"Nope," the Doctor admitted. "But it's good fun and it passes the time."

"Don't you ever sleep?"

"Nah, I don't need sleep."

"Yeah, you do."

"Well…" he conceded, "not as often as humans. And I slept last night. And I spent half of today unconscious. So I'm fine."

"All right. Good night, spaceman."

"Good night, Donna Noble. Sweet dreams." And with that, he left.

**THE END**

* * *

><p><em>Thank you so much for reading. It's Christmas Day! (If you're reading this the day I publish it.) Merry Christmas, if you celebrate it! If you don't, happy holidays! I would like to state, for the record, that this was actually the first fanfiction I ever began writing, about ten months ago. I scribbled down the first few pages into a small, TARDIS blue notebook, and then I lost it. I found it again when I began to write other fanfics (namely Saving the Squeaks, an 11Amy/Rory multi-chapter adventure) and decided to go along with it. I could not have imagined then that it would be viewed almost 800 times. You've made my year so much better, and if you're taking the time to read this author's note, thank you so much. Please let me know what you thought of my story. I really hope I did these beautiful characters justice, though I know I never could. _


End file.
